Removable walling system

ABSTRACT

A temporary walling system includes a wall structure having at least one sealable opening for allowing passage through the wall structure. A fastening system releasably attaches the wall structure to a cargo transportation apparatus.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to removable walling systems and, moreparticularly, to removable walling systems for use with cargo trailersor vehicles.

BACKGROUND

Various sporting or spectator events and competitions require that aparticipant, when attending the event, use or show specialized equipmentat the event. Examples of these events include equestrian, BMX, andmotorcycle shows, in which the specialized equipment includes horses,dirt bikes, and motorcycles (respectively). This, in turn, requires thatthe attendees of the event utilize some form of transportation vehicleor trailer to transport the required equipment (e.g., horses, dirtbikes, or motorcycles) to the event.

Unfortunately, the expense of attending these events is oftenexacerbated by the various lodging expenses associated with the event.Additionally, as these events are often heavily attended, it may not bepossible to secure affordable lodging within a convenient distance withrespect to the location of the event.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first implementation, a temporary walling system includesa wall structure having at least one sealable opening for allowingpassage through the wall structure. A fastening system releasablyattaches the wall structure to a cargo transportation apparatus.

One or more of the following features may also be included. The cargotransportation apparatus may be a trailer (e.g., a horse trailer or amotorcycle trailer) or a truck (e.g., a delivery truck). The fasteningsystem may include one or more snap-type fasteners, one or morezipper-type fasteners, or one or more channel-type fasteners. The atleast one sealable opening may be a door or a window.

The wall structure may be constructed of a flexible material (e.g., aflexible plastic material or a flexible mesh material) or a rigidmaterial (e.g., a rigid plastic material, a rigid aluminum material, ora rigid composite material).

A lower portion of the wall structure may include a weighting apparatusfor effectively sealing the lower portion of the wall structure to thefloor of the cargo transportation apparatus.

According to a further implementation, a portable living structure maybe formed by combining the temporary walling system with a cargotransportation apparatus.

The details of one or more implementations may be set forth in theaccompanying drawings and the description below. Other features andadvantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, andthe claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of two vehicles onto which a temporarywalling system may be installed;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a temporary walling system;

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of a channel-type fastener of thetemporary walling system of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of a weighted lower portion of thetemporary walling system of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a trailer 10 (being towed bya pickup truck 12) and a delivery truck 14 onto which a temporarywalling system 16 may be installed. As discussed above, when attendingsporting/spectator events (e.g., equestrian shows, BMX events, andmotorcycle shows, for example), the attendees often use trailer 10and/or delivery truck 14 to transport specialized equipment (e.g., horse18 and motorcycle 20) to the sporting/spectator event.

When installed on trailer 10 or truck 14 (hereinafter trailer/truck),temporary walling system 16 converts the trailer/truck into a temporaryliving structure in which the attendees can live during thesporting/spectator event.

Temporary walling system 16 includes a wall structure 22 having at leastone sealable opening for allowing passage through the wall structure 22.Examples of the sealable opening include door 24 and window 26. Door 24and window 26 may be constructed of a breathable material (e.g., a nylonmess material) that allows for ventilation. Alternatively, door 24 andwindow 26 may be constructed of a non-breathable material that protectsthe attendees of the sporting/spectator event from the elements (e.g.,rain, snow, and sleet, for example). Additionally, door 24 and windows26 may be multi-layer structures that include a openable, non-breathableinner layer and a breathable outer layer. Therefore, during inclementweather, the attendee may temporarily close the non-breathable, innerlayer (using a temporary fastener system, such as a zipper orhook-and-loop fasteners). And when ventilation is desired, thenon-breathable, inner layer may be opened, thus allowing for ventilationthrough the breathable outer layer.

Door 24 may be sealed to wall structure 22 using a temporary fasteningsystem 28, such as snap-type fasteners, hook-and-loop fasteners, or azipper, for example. Therefore, if door 24 is non-rigid, door 24 may beunsealed from wall structure 22, rolled up (or to the side) andtemporarily secured. Alternatively, door 24 may be hinged to allow fortraditional axial rotation about e.g., axis 30. If door 24 is hinged,door 24 may include (as required) stiffening members (not shown) thatmaintain door 24 in a generally planar form, and a latching mechanism(not shown) that allows for the latching and unlatching of door 24.

Wall structure 22 may be constructed of various types of flexible orrigid material, or any combination thereof.

Examples of the flexible materials include non-breathable sheet-typematerial (for use in inclement weather conditions) or breathable,mesh-type material that allows for ventilation. Based on the desiredlevel of privacy and the availability of artificial light within thetrailer/truck, the sheet material may be clear (e.g., clear vinyl),translucent (e.g., translucent vinyl), or opaque (e.g., opaque vinyl,burlap, polyester, or cloth, for example). Additionally, the flexiblematerial may include an insulating layer (e.g., 3M Thinsulate™) toreduce the transmission of heat through wall structure 22.

Example of rigid material from which wall structure 22 may beconstructed include rigid sheet plastic, rigid sheet aluminum, rigidsheet carbon fiber material, or a rigid sheet composite material (e.g.,an inner and outer aluminum skin surrounding an insulating core). If arigid material is used, wall structure 22 may be divided into severalsmaller manageable panels (thus allowing for easy stowage), which may beinterconnected via hinges (not shown) or removable fasteners (e.g.,screws, snap-type fasteners, or nuts and bolts, for example (notshown)).

Temporary walling system 16 includes a fastening system 32 forreleasably attaching the wall structure 22 to a surface 34 of thetrailer/truck. By releasably attaching the wall structure to thetrailer/truck, the temporarily walling systems can be easily installedand removed whenever the trailer/truck is to be used as a temporaryliving structure.

The type of fastening system 32 incorporated into temporary wallingsystem 16 varies depending on the material from which the wall structure22 is constructed. As discussed above, the wall structure 22 may beconstructed from either flexible or rigid material.

Referring also to FIG. 3A, if wall structure 22 is constructed of aflexible material, fastening system 32 may include snap-type fasteners(not shown), hook-and-loop fasteners (not shown), zipper fasteners (notshown), or channel-type fasteners 36 (as shown along section line 38,FIG. 2). Channel-type fastener 36 typically include a channel member 40into which slidable members (e.g., spheres) 42 are slid. These slidablemembers 42, which are attached to wall structure 22, slidably secure(via channel member 40) the wall structure 22 to the surface 34 of thetruck/trailer. Typically, channel member 40 is rigidly attached to theinner surface of the roof and sides of the truck/trailer. If wallstructure 22 is constructed of a rigid material, fastening system 32 mayinclude screws (not shown) or nuts and bolts (not shown).

Referring also to FIG. 3B, the lower portion of wall structure 22 mayinclude a weighting apparatus 44 (as shown along section line 46, FIG.2) for effectively sealing the wall structure 22 to the floor surface 48of the trailer/truck. By using weighting apparatus 44 to maintaincontact between wall structure 22 and floor surface 48, no channels orfasteners need to be attached to the floor surface 48 of thetrailer/truck.

While the windows and doors of the temporarily walling system aredescribed above as including a openable inner layer and a non-openableouter layer, other configurations are possible. For example, thebreathable outer layer may also be openable. Further, the doors andwindows of the temporary walling system may only include either abreathable layer or a non-breathable layer.

A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it willbe understood that various modifications may be made. Accordingly, otherimplementations may be within the scope of the following claims.

1. A temporary walling system comprising: a wall structure including at least one sealable opening for allowing passage through the wall structure; and a fastening system for releasably attaching the wall structure to a cargo transportation apparatus.
 2. The temporary walling system of claim 1 wherein the cargo transportation apparatus is a trailer.
 3. The temporary walling system of claim 2 wherein the trailer is a horse trailer.
 4. The temporary walling system of claim 2 wherein the trailer is a motorcycle trailer.
 5. The temporary walling system of claim 1 wherein the cargo transportation apparatus is a truck.
 6. The temporary walling system of claim 5 wherein the truck is a delivery truck.
 7. The temporary walling system of claim 1 wherein the fastening system includes one or more snap-type fasteners.
 8. The temporary walling system of claim 1 wherein the fastening system includes one or more zipper-type fasteners.
 9. The temporary walling system of claim 1 wherein the fastening system includes one or more channel-type fasteners.
 10. The temporary walling system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sealable opening is a door.
 11. The temporary walling system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sealable opening is a window.
 12. The temporary walling system of claim 1 wherein the wall structure is constructed of a flexible material.
 13. The temporary walling system of claim 12 wherein the flexible material is a flexible plastic material.
 14. The temporary walling system of claim 12 wherein the flexible material is a flexible mesh material.
 15. The temporary walling system of claim 1 wherein the wall structure is constructed of a rigid material.
 16. The temporary walling system of claim 15 wherein the rigid material is a rigid plastic material.
 17. The temporary walling system of claim 15 wherein the rigid material is a rigid aluminum material.
 18. The temporary walling system of claim 15 wherein the rigid material is a rigid composite material.
 19. The temporary walling system of claim 1 wherein a lower portion of the wall structure includes a weighting apparatus for effectively sealing the lower portion of the wall structure to the floor of the cargo transportation apparatus.
 20. A portable living structure comprising: a cargo transportation apparatus; and a temporary walling system including: a wall structure including at least one sealable opening for allowing passage through the wall structure; and a fastening system for releasably attaching the wall structure to the cargo transportation apparatus.
 21. The portable living structure of claim 20 wherein the cargo transportation apparatus is a trailer.
 22. The portable living structure of claim 21 wherein the trailer is a horse trailer.
 23. The portable living structure of claim 21 wherein the trailer is a motorcycle trailer.
 24. The portable living structure of claim 20 wherein the cargo transportation apparatus is a truck.
 25. The portable living structure of claim 24 wherein the truck is a delivery truck.
 26. The portable living structure of claim 20 wherein the fastening system includes one or more snap-type fasteners.
 27. The portable living structure of claim 20 wherein the fastening system includes one or more zipper-type fasteners.
 28. The portable living structure of claim 20 wherein the fastening system includes one or more channel-type fasteners.
 29. The portable living structure of claim 20 wherein the at least one sealable opening is a door.
 30. The portable living structure of claim 20 wherein the at least one sealable opening is a window.
 31. The portable living structure of claim 20 wherein the wall structure is constructed of a flexible material.
 32. The portable living structure of claim 31 wherein the flexible material is a flexible plastic material.
 33. The portable living structure of claim 31 wherein the flexible material is a flexible mesh material.
 34. The portable living structure of claim 20 wherein the wall structure is constructed of a rigid material.
 35. The portable living structure of claim 34 wherein the rigid material is a rigid plastic material.
 36. The portable living structure of claim 34 wherein the rigid material is a rigid aluminum material.
 37. The portable living structure of claim 34 wherein the rigid material is a rigid composite material.
 38. The portable living structure of claim 20 wherein a lower portion of the wall structure includes a weighting apparatus for effectively sealing the lower portion of the wall structure to the floor of the cargo transportation apparatus. 